Judaism through the Eyes of a Non-Jew

Tag: holidays

I recently heard a fantastic episode of Rob Bell’s podcast where he discussed the idea of Good vs. Perfect. Good, he explained, was a concept that came from the Hebrews. In fact, the first chapter of the Torah was G-d explaining how everything He created was “good” … light was good, dark was good, earth … More Good vs. Perfect (Or “Dirty & Tired part 2”)

A few years back, I auditioned for a prestigious Asia-wide orchestra summer camp. To put it very mildly, the panelist declined me and gave me his very frank thoughts on my playing. What he said about my playing I was able to shrug off after a few days, but something else he said haunted me … More Pesach Cleaning: Ghosts and Gold Cracks

Last year I walked into Chabad Manila for Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year) not really knowing what to expect. This year, I was a little more prepared to face the holiday. (I say this in the practical sense. For example, I knew to eat before showing up because the services can take … a while.) … More Shofar Prayers and My Second Rosh Hashana

Last Sunday, my friend was on her way to her cousin’s wedding in Montreal when a truck rammed into their car. The collision was so bad they had to be airlifted out of the scene. Her brother unfortunately, died. My friend and her parents were able to hold on and are more or less stable … More Moving Forward from a Terrible Accident: Four Lessons

We are currently halfway through the month of Elul, the explosive month before the Jewish New Year. It is not explosive in the sense that there are parties every week, but rather because “the King is in the field.” G-d, it is said, is extremely close to us now. In a metaphor, you can imagine … More Elul and Taking the First Step to Change

Yesterday (13 Aug 2016) was the 9th of Av (Tisha B’Av), a day of tragedy in Jewish history. A great many terrible things happened on this day, from the Jewish people in the time of Moses believing the report of the 10 Spies (leading to the decree that forbade them from entering the land of … More Tisha B’Av & How to Listen When You Disagree

Last Saturday (June 11th) evening until Monday evening (evening June 13th) is a Jewish holiday called “Shavuos” or literally translated, weeks. This article points out something interesting: The name “Shavuos” (lit. Weeks – I.e. the seven weeks between leaving Egypt and receiving the Torah), on the other hand, invokes none of these glorious thoughts. Rather, … More Shavuos and Growth

Tonight I went to watch a friend perform the Sibelius Violin Concerto. It was a full house, and she was beyond fantastic. What struck me the most about her playing though wasn’t how clean all the notes were but how she was able to interpret the music. The movement that was patterned after a dance … More Playing Your Music

Everyone has made mistakes. And sometimes, we feel our mistakes are so severe we’ve successfully managed to mess up the rest of our lives already. And it’s a sucky feeling. But today (May 22nd, 2016) is a minor Jewish holiday called Pesach Sheni, or second Passover. As this article from Aish.com explains, sometimes people were … More Second (and more) Chances

Last Friday, May 6th, was my friend and rebbetzin’s birthday (Hebrew date 28 Nissan). I went over to see her and give her her gift, and was playing with the kids when she came and sat down to talk with me. She started by telling me that “Your mazel shines extra strong on your birthday.” … More Birthdays, Blessings, and the Beauty of Judaism